


Growing Pains

by keepmeinthedark



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, F/F, F/M, First War with Voldemort, Fluff, Hogwarts, M/M, Marauders Era (Harry Potter), POV Marlene McKinnon, The Marauder's Map
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-03
Updated: 2020-12-06
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:55:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,017
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27863434
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/keepmeinthedark/pseuds/keepmeinthedark
Summary: When things got bad Marlene McKinnon usually found herself in her imagination, talking to her eleven-year-old self. Telling her all that was going to happen, all the good, all the bad, all the in-between. And now, moments away from death seemed to be as good of a time as ever to pay her eleven-year-olds self a visit.But what would she tell her?
Relationships: Marlene McKinnon & Lily Evans Potter, Marlene McKinnon/Dorcas Meadowes, Marlene McKinnon/Emmeline Vance, Marlene McKinnon/Peter Pettigrew, Mary Macdonald/Marlene McKinnon, Remus Lupin/Marlene McKinnon, Sirius Black/Marlene McKinnon
Kudos: 4





	1. Growing Pains

When things got bad Marlene McKinnon usually found her self in her imagination, talking to her eleven year old self. Telling her all that was going to happen, all the good, all the bad, all the inbetween. And now, moments away from death seemed to be as good of a time as ever to pay her eleven year olds self a visit.

But what would she tell her?


	2. The first lie

September 1st 1971 - 00:30

Vodka tasted weird

That was Marlene's first thought when trying it for the first time, gathered in the attic of her house with her two siblings. Stephanie, her older sister of four years, and Thomas, her younger brother of three years. It was a tradition among the siblings now that on September 1st since Steph first went to Hogwarts that they would sit up in the basement and drink until morning, soaking up any moments that they can have together. Only until this year, Steph had been the only one drinking, now Marlene was old enough Steph said, and could drink as well. Thomas would have to wait until he joined Hogwarts.

"So, what house do you think you'll be in?" Tommy asked, hugging the closest pillow next to him.

"Gryffindor, obviously. Our entire family has been in Gryffindor I don't exactly want to be in Slytherin do I?" Marlene said confidently. She was in a family full of Gryffindors, she couldn't imagine the shame of breaking tradition.

Steph smiled and took another swig of vodka, "If you are then you'd be in the same house as me," she said smiling. Marlene could still remember the day where their family had gotten their first letter from Steph, announcing that she had made it into Gryffindor. It made Marlene want to go to Hogwarts even more and now, in a short 10 or so hours she will get to.

As the hours ticked on soon the three of them all ended up asleep on the floor, only to be awoken by their younger sister's screams and cries at eight in the morning.

"I swear I won't be missing them two trolls," Steph complained, sitting up and stretching.

Marlene rolled her eyes. She didn't really mind the crying, it was worth the hassle she thought, she quite enjoyed being an older sister and she was too young when Tommy was born to really remember what it was like when he was a baby. However, she had been a very active part of the twins life so far. They were only one year old at the moment and she wouldn't be able to tell them apart if it wasn't for the different coloured onesies that they wore, but she loved them anyway. She found it hard to not love any of her siblings, her family was her everything.

"Well, we might as well get changed. Come on," Steph said getting up and making her way down the stairs into the house.

Marlene went straight to her bedroom, she already had her trunk packed from the night before. She put on a white blouse, skirt and cardigan opting to keep her hair down, just brushing it. She looked rather smart, she thought, quite pretty actually.

Dragging her trunk down the stairs was harder then she thought but she managed in the end, placing it next to Stephs and making her way to the kitchen to get breakfast, kissing both of her younger sisters heads as she passed them.

"Morning Mama," she beamed, giving her mum a quick kiss on the cheek and grabbing an apple from the fruit ball.

"Ohhh no you don't, you are not going on that long train ride with only an apple to get you through it. Here, I made you bacon and I already packed a lunch for you and Steph to take with you on the train." Her mother, Kimberly, said, handing her daughter a bacon sandwich which Marlene gladly took and sat down at the dining room table with it

"Honestly Mum, we don't need a packed lunch they sell food on the train," Steph piped up. She made this argument every year.

"No, they sell sweets on the train and you need more than that," Kimberly insisted. Steph just rolled her eyes. 

They got to the train station in good time, about half an hour to spare for goodbyes and the ability to get a good seat on the train.

Tommy was the hardest one to say goodbye to, Marlene had always been so close to her younger brother and he didn't seem too please with being left alone with their baby sisters.

"I'll write every day," she promised, pulling him into a hug and squeezing him tightly. "Stay out of trouble, and don't have too much fun without me," she joked. Tommy just smiled and nodded.

Her and Steph were able to find an empty compartment easily, and once getting in safely Stephanie immediately went digging through her bag. "I have a present for you," she said.

"A present? What sort of present?"

"A "welcome to Hogwarts present""

She pulled out two Gryffindor ties, causing Marlene to raise an eyebrow.

"Steph I have ties I don't need yours," She knew that these two ties were the only ones she had.

Steph paused for a moment, "Marls, I love you and I've been lying to you and Mum and Dad and basically the entire family," she said slowly.

Marlene just grew more confused.

"I was sorted into Slytherin. I was never a Gryffindor I just told them all that I was because I knew that they would react --"

"You're a Slytherin!? Why? How?"

"-- Like that - you would react like that"

Steph sighed. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but can you blame me? I'm the first McKinnon ever that hadn't been in Gryffindor and this family has a habit of masturbating over the fact that it's full of Gryffindors. I seriously think I might've been disowned if I dared told Mum and Dad that I'm a Slytherin," she explained.

"So what? Are you a purist now?"

"What!? No! Of course not, Merlín Marls you're as bad as them sometimes. Not all Slytherins are evil for Christ's sake!" She was getting annoyed now, it was obvious.

Marlene just rolled her eyes, she didn't want to hear this. "Yeah, whatever," she said getting up.

"You can keep the ties, maybe they'll remind you of the life you could've had," she said, nose in the air, and with that, she left, only just catching the sight of her sister rolling her eyes and leaning back into her seat.


	3. Hogwarts

Finding the confidence to ask someone if she could sit with them was proving to be a lot harder then Marlene originally thought. Especially with the thought of her fight with her sister so clear in her head.

Marlene was overreacting, she knew it but she didn't care. Steph lied and her and she hated being lied to. Steph knew this.

They had both been brought up in what Marlene thinks was the right way. To respect others, to not take the purity of others blood into account, to be kind and fair and brave. That Slytherins were anything but, that Gryffindor was the house that every member of their family was apart of and that was for a reason.

But surely she knew better then this? Maybe if her sister was in Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff she would be less mad. She didn't want to be mad at Steph, for she was the only person on this train that she knew. She didn't think about making friends on the train, she had just assumed she would enjoy the ride with Steph and her friends and then start actually putting herself out there to her own year once sorted.

Luckily she was able to find a carriage of her own, at the very front of the train, next to where the prefects were. She took her seat and a deep breath.

Now what?

She hadn't really packed anything in her bag that could be used as entertainment. She expected that she would have people to talk to for the train ride.

She sighed and looked out the window, this was going to be a long journey. And the train hadn't even taken off yet.

It was about twenty minutes before the train took off and then another ten minuets for someone to join Marlene.

A small plump boy, draw coloured hair and baby face entered the carriage. "Umm I hope you don't mind but could I sit here?" he asked quietly.

Marlene had to stop herself from jumping with excitement, he was clearly someone who would be in her year and she could use the company.

"Oh yes! Of corse, please take a seat," she beamed. "My names Marlene, Marlene McKinnon."

"Peter Pettigrew," the boy replied, shaking her outstretched hand and sitting in the seat opposite her. "Are you a first year too?"

Marlene nodded, "Yes I am, I'm so excited. Aren't you? Oh I can't wait to be sorted and start classes," she rambled, slightly bouncing up and down in her seat.

Peter smiled, "So am I. What house do you think you'd be in?"

"Gryffindor probably," she replied, trying not to sound as confident as she actually was. "My whole family has been Gryffindor, only makes sense. What about you? Are you pureblood?"

Peter nodded, "My family has been mixed and matched. No real legacy for me, although I'm hoping to also make Gryffindor."

Marlene nodded and politely smiled, trying not to let it show on her face that she thought he would rather be suited in Hufflepuff in her opinion.

"Do you have any siblings?" she asked, she didn't want to sit in silence with Peter. She had to make friends somehow and this seemed as good of a time as ever.

Peter nodded, "A sister, Beth her name is. She's a year younger then me. Have you?"

Marlene hesitated. Really she should've known that Peter would ask back but it still caught her off guard. She had just told Peter that her entire family was Gryffindors, but Steph in fact wasn't a Gryffindor at all.

Still, she was her sisters. And it wasn't like she expected Peter to actually make Gryffindor, he probably would never notice.

"I have one older sister, a younger brother and two younger sisters."

"Wow, big family you've got there."

Marlene let out a little laugh, "Yeah, I guess... But I like having a big family. I love my siblings as I know you must love your sister."

Peter nodded, "Yeah, definitely."

Marlene and Peter continued talking throughout the ride and rode the boats to the castle with two other girls.

Just the sight of the castle made Marlenes stomach grow butterfly's, it was everything she ever dreamed of and walking into the great hall for the first time was surly a moment she would never forget.

"When I call your name, come forward and I will place the hat on your head. When you've been sorted please join your house table," Professor McGonagall said, before pulling out a scroll and speaking the first name.

"Black, Sirius"

Black, Marlene had heard of that family before, all Slytherins, all purists, all arseholes. She narrowed her eyes as she watched the black haired boy take his seat up on the stool. This one would be obvious.

"GRYFFINDOR!" the hat shouted and the hall went silent.

Marlene allowed herself to glance back at the Slytherin table, where Sirius' family were, ready to welcome him with open arms. Now all sat with their jaws open and eyebrows raised.

Looking back at Sirius almost broke her heart, he looked... scared.

Marlenes eyes didn't leave Sirius for the majority of the sorting. It wasn't until she hear "MacDonald, Mary" that her head shot back to the front. She should be called up soon.

Mary was a small girl, with beautiful brown skin and was wearing a black hijab. She walked up to the stall and sat down, it didn't take long for the hat to yell "GRYFFINDOR," causing the hall to applause while Mary joined her house.

"McKinnon, Marlene."

For whatever reason, Marlene decided to wait a total of three seconds before actually moving, as if she was scared that there were two Marlene McKinnons in her year or perhaps if she misheard the professor and went up before her name was called.

She sat at the stool and faced the great hall. Only then did she feel so incredible small. So many eyes all staring up at her, waiting to see where she'd be placed.

She found Stephanie easily, she was sat at the Slytherin table, close to the edge of the table, as if she was getting ready to welcome Marlene into the house.

"Oh god please not Slytherin" she whispered.

Not Slytherin? Pity, I reckon you'd do rather well there.

Marlene had to stop myself from jumping too much. Of course the hat talked, she had been told this. She had been told every little detail about the sorting ceremony but now that she was here she was terrified. Steph being a Slytherin had completely caught her off guard. She just wished the hat would hurry on and sort her already.

Getting impatient are we? So Hufflepuff will never do.

Well you've got that right, she thought. Just please say Gryffindor and leave me be.

Gryffindor? You have bravery yes but also creativity and wit and, if you use it correctly, intelligence. Perhaps Ravenclaw is more your style.

Ravenclaw? She hadn't thought of herself as a Ravenclaw before. Always Gryffindor. She had to be Gryffindor.

You don't have to be anything the hat spoke again. Here all you have to be is yourself and you are not a Gryffindor

Marlene could feel the hat move on her head, she knew what was coming.

Wait, I'm not-

"RAVENCLAW!"

Marlene didn't remover much of the feast from then on. Instead she sat at the Ravenclaw table sulking. She looked like a fool.

Of corse Peter had made it into Gryffindor, along with Sirius, Mary, three other boys and a girl with red hair. She had never envied strangers more.

She couldn't keep her eyes off the Gryffindor table, they all sat there talking and laughing with their prefects. The Ravenclaws around her tried to get through. Also sorted into her house were two other girls, Emmeline and Hestia. And two boys, Caradoc and Benjy. Their prefect, Frank was currently answering every question her four housemates could come up with.

"It's a small batch this year isn't it?" A girl said, taking a seat next to Frank. "Hi, my names Pandora. I'm head girl," she said, shaking each other their hands.

"Small as in number or height?" Frank joked.

Pandora laughed and shoved him "Oh shut it Longbottom, Merlín knows how you got prefect you can't go abusing your power by bullying first years," she laughed causing the others around them to laugh along.

"Anyways, we better go off to bed. Before everyone starts clearing out and we end up losing one of you. Follow me firsties," Frank said loudly, getting up from his seat.

The five first years followed him through the castle until they had reached Ravenclaw tower.

Marlene had to admit the Ravenclaw common room was beautiful. Frank lead them down the staircase and sat the five of them on the blue sofas by the fire.

"Right, well this is it! Umm just a few ground rules that Ravenclaw house has had for a while and a few insights of other houses and all that.

"Firstly, you're welcome to borrow any book only condition is that you give it back. A rule that I'm pretty sure all houses have are parties are allowed but Hufflepuff usually take care of Halloween because they're closest to the food, there's a ball every year right before the Christmas holidays, although only forth year and above are allowed, sorry guys and parties for such events such as birthdays we say third year and above are allowed to host those. Like no offence yall are cute but nobody knows who you are or care about the fact that you're turning twelve so-" he shrugged.

"Boys I warn you, don't go up to the girls dorm by your own will you will regret it. Ummmm what else is there...? Okay if I think of anything else I'll tell you but until then, follow me youngsters," he quickly jogged to a door under the balcony, down a corridor leading to two stair cases.

"Ladies, follow those stairs up to the first door and you will find your dorm room. You'll find that your things have already been sent up for you. Boys, follow me," and with that he, Caradoc and Benjy were gone.

It was Hestia that lead the way to the dorms and immediately jumped on the closest bed. Emmeline then took the middle one leaving Marlene to take the one furthest from the door.

The three girls unpacked in silence until Hestia spoke up, "You're quiet," she said, looking at Marlene.

Marlene just shrugged, "I guess."

Hestia didn't respond but Marlene caught her and Emmeline sharing a glance.

"Well, I was thinking about going down to the common room. Maybe we could get the boys, try to know each other a little better. You two up for it?" Emmeline then asked.

Hestia nodded smiling but Marlene shook her head, "I'm actually a bit tired. Might go to bed early after writing to my folks," she lied. Really she had no intention in writing to her parents until she could properly talk to Stephanie.

The two girls nodded and left the dorm, leaving Marlene on her own.

She sighed and got changed quickly before getting into bed.

"This isn't so bad," she told herself. So far Hogwarts was nothing like she expected but it wasn't all bad. Could've been worse definitely.

With that thought in mind, Marlene turned off the lamp and slowly but surly fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Im going to try to get through the first few years quickly so we can get to the fun parts so expect a few time jumps going forward.


End file.
